This is the story of Modern Totem, a sculpture by Martin Beach. The piece was commissioned in October 2013 by the Columbus Area Arts Council and Columbus Museum of Art and Design (CMAD). This page will be updated with posts and pictures weekly until the piece is installed in Spring 2014.

On Monday, December 16, 2013, Martin Beach started out from Columbus, IN, to Babbit, MN, to pick up two blocks of Mesabi Black granite that will become Modern Totem. Beach slept a few hours in the cab of his truck halfway between St. Paul and Du

It was announced this past weekend that Martin Beach received the Chapter Career Award in the National Society of Arts and Letters Visual Arts Competition from the Bloomington Chapter. With this award comes a $1,000 cash prize. Beach won for his

Martin Beach is an emerging artist working in Columbus, IN, and is considered by many to be a rising star in the world of stone sculpture. He moved to Columbus in 2010 upon graduating from The Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA). Although he n

Prior to the 2013 unCommon Cause, Karen Shrode, Arts Council executive director, and Martin Beach met to discuss the commission of Modern Totem, which would be much different than a majority of Beach’s previous work. His past work is small

Picture it, unCommon Cause 2012. Chaos reigned and Steampunk ruled. It was tomorrow as it used to be. Members of the community, dressed to the nines with goggles and gears, came to the Arts Council’s annual fundraising gala to support the

Columbus Area Arts Council enhances the quality of life in the community–stimulating community interest in art, fostering creation and inquiry throughout Columbus, and leading a vibrant arts culture tied to our unique history.